9 replies to this topic

[corisande]

Looking for any help on this man. My notes including his RAF record are on this link - click

But apart from his RAF record, I have very little. My interest in him is that he went on to Auxiliary Division of RIC in 1920.

A really weird service record with a somewhat accelerated promotion from 2nd Lt to Lt Col in 18 months in the RAF, having been an army private in 1911

1911 census A Private soldier at 47 Glamorgan Hotel Gilfach Goch S Wales

1916 Oct 11. Commissioned 2nd Lt RAF - E.O.3

1917 Jan 19. Promoted Lt - EO2

1917 Feb 24. Mentioned in Despatches

1917 Jul 6. Promoted Captain - EO1

1918 Apr 1. Promoted Lt Col - SO1

1918 Jun 14 Mentioned in Despatches

1919 May 3. Relinquishes his commission on ceasing to be employed.

The only clue to what he was doing in his record appears to be

His birth is difficult, certainly I cannot get a man of that name born in Somerset in 1886, nor is he in 1891 nor 1901 censuses. I suspect he has changed his name.

Anybody know anything about him, I cannot find much, but he obviously had skills in demand

[corisande]

He appears to have been in Equipment Branch. I came accross this snippet from a book - click to read online - which seems to be my man - meno signed Lt Col O W Latimer. It concerns the politics of who inspects WRAF clothing!

The book also includes this snippet of his career  at that point

LATIMER, O. W. — Private in the Somersetshire Light Infantry, 1905 — 1912. Joined Royal Flying Corps 1912, as Corporal : reverted to rank of Private. Obtained a Commission, October, 1916 ; Captain, 1917 ; Lieut. -Colonel, 1918. Appointed Head of Clothing and Rations Department for Royal Air Force at home and overseas, under Brigadier-General Fletcher (Equipment Department)

I still cannot get his birth name, and his career seems very odd, moreso with that snippet

[CGM]

An Owen W R G Latimer married Nellie L Bird in the Bath registration district in 3Q 1914
and died in 3Q 1949, in the Bath registration district, aged 63.

[corisande]

Thanks, I have that already on that linked page, it is a birth record that I cannot get.

His RAF record says born 1886 Jan 21, his RIC record says Somerset 1886 and his 1911 census says Bristol 1886. So one migh assume a birth in Somerest in 1886, but darned if I can get it

Similarly there is no sign of a man with that name in 1891 nor 1901 census

[corisande]

Strange goings on in the RAF at that time. I have downloaded and read the souce I quoted above.  Violet Blanche Douglas-Pennant." wrote in 1921 "Under the search-light, a record of a great scandal "

She was the second Commandant of WRAF, and had been sacked, for what she claims was good old fashioned male predjudice, coupled with political intrigues and turf wars. She certainly did not think much of Lt Col Latimer. It appears that Latimer was in the Equipment Dept of Air Ministry at this time. Douglas-Pennant claimed she had been dismissed in Aug 1918 in an attempt by several senior officers, including Colonel Bersey, the commander of the WRAF supplies unit, General Livingston, the deputy head of the personnel department and Mrs Beatty, the Assistant Commandant of the WRAF, to cover up "rife immorality" in WRAF camps by getting rid of the only officer "too straight for them to work with". A Select Committee was set up to investigate her claims, but Douglas-Pennant was unable to produce any evidence of the "rife immorality" that she had accused several officers of, and after three weeks the committee dismissed all witnesses. The final report was produced in December 1919, and found that Douglas-Pennant had been completely unable to substantiate her claims and was deserving "of the gravest censure". The Committee's decision led two of the parties (Colonels Janson and Bersey) to sue her for libel, and both cases were successful, forcing her to pay "substantial" damages

[mhifle]

On the 1911 Census he is in Wales.

In March 1911 the 1st battalion Somersetshire Light Infantry was sent to South Wales to help keep order during the coal strike. So it looks like he was with the 1st Battalion at this time.

He also has some Hindustani so he must have served in India or prehaps spent his childhood in India if his father was in the Army,

1st Battalion Somersetshire Light Infantry:  India 1893–1908, England 1908–1914
(1902 Peshawar, 1904 Cawnpore, 1906 Poona, 1908 England: Portland, 1911 Bordon)

2nd Battalion Somersetshire Light Infantry: England 1903–1908, Malta 1908–1911, China 1911–1913

Regards Mark

[corona]

A very long shot  but see the Attestation Papers of 14416 FREDERICK LATIMER RAMC on FMP..
With a change of fore  name and date of birth there is an outside chance he could be your man.
Most, if not all the information he provided the Army with, appears to be incorrect,as far as I can discover.
After his discharge on Dec. 24th 1902, he seems to vanish from the sight of men !
Perhaps a little fanciful but worth a look.
corona

[corisande]

Thanks for the suggestion on that Latimer on FMP,

I will take a look at him. As you say it does look a long shot, but something seems to have happened with Lt Col Latimer's past before he appears in 1902 onwards record, so I will need to check out anything that looks remotely like him

[David Underdown]

Bristol's on the border between Somerset and Gloucestershire - are there any Gloucestershire registrations which might fit?

[corisande]

There were no "Owen Latimer" born in England any county, between 1880 and 1890

"Owen William" and no surname got me nowhere.

The odd thing I cannot explain is why he decided to use "Owen William Reginald Graham Latimer" at points in his life, when there seems nothing to base that on in his past.